Cardamom Cookies

Cookies have always been the Achilles Heel of my cooking repertoire. For some reason I struggle to achieve the perfect consistency of cookie dough, which means that they become ever so slightly misshapen during the cooking process. However, there is one recipe which, in general, produces cookies of which even I can be proud. This being the case, I thought it best to follow the same basic recipe, only replacing the chocolate with just enough cardamom to impart a subtle, delicate flavour. Indeed, though cardamom is truly one of my favourite spices, there exists a fine line between perfection and complete and utter failure. Who can honestly say that they enjoy the unadulterated taste of a cardamom pod?

To be honest, cookies aren’t quite as popular here in Britain as they are in America. Let’s face it, they are rather vulgar, full of sugar and generally too large. Though, I shall let you decide whether that description was aimed at the cookie or the American. All joking and pseudo-Xenophobic remarks aside, cookies will never occupy the same place in the hearts and souls of the British that the good old-fashioned biscuit has since the 18th Century. However, one cannot deny that the American cookie does have a certain dirty appeal to it. Everyone has their vices, perhaps the cookie shall become the culinary mistress to whom I return on a monthly basis. Sugar, no matter how horrible it can make one feel, is rather addictive after all.

Cardamom Cookies

Makes 16-20

Ingredients:

• 200g butter

• 85g muscovado sugar, dark works nicely

• 85g golden caster sugar

• 1 egg

• 225g self-raising flour

• The seeds of 10 cardamom pods

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods. Toast them gently in a frying pan, it is important to keep them moving so that they don’t burn. After a couple of minutes remove them from the heat and crush them using a rolling pin or mortar and pestle.

2. Mix the butter with both types of sugar, until smooth – take care not to cream them. Gently beat in the egg. Fold in the flour and the crushed cardamom.

3. Dollop 16-20 little balls of the cookie dough onto greased baking trays, leave a few centimetres around each to allow for spreading. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow them to cool for a few minutes until stiff enough to lift onto a wire rack – allow to cool completely before indulging.

Cost: This entire batch of cookies should set one back little more than £1.20, quite the bargain. Please enjoy the subtle aroma and flavour of these deliciously spicy cookies.

Haha, a fair and funny stab! Unfortunately, for too much of the population, your cookie analogy is true… Speaking of cookies and eating too many of them, my husband and I were just the other day marveling at how cookie recipes always seem to be written to feed an army… why don’t recipes come in generally smaller sizes? If a couple bakes a batch of cookies, generally 24 cookies to a batch, that’s 12 cookies each if you fail to pawn them off on friend and co-workers. So silly! Rant over… my solution is always halving recipes and freezing extra dough!

I’d say you faced your xenophobia head on — pseudo or not 🙂 — and your bravery resulted in some delicious (possibly addictive) cookies. Cardamom is one of my favorite spices, too, but as they say, “A little dab’ll do ya!” You showed great restraint. (Dare I say, British restraint?!) Unfortunately, I’ll have to agree with you that the status quo in America isn’t “less is more.” Keep telling it like it is!

Why am I left feeling like a dirty American cookie junkie after reading your post? But I will never understand why most cookie recipes make so darn many…who needs 2 dozen cookies sitting around, I tell you we just set ourselves up for failure!

Did you consider mixing a little sugar and crushed cardamom and rolling the cookie dough in it, for a nice, crunchy top. The trend toward extra-large, extra-sweet cookies is a relatively new one in the States as things go (it started in the 1970s), but it shows no sign of abating. Pity, because before that we baked lots of dainty tea cookies and many ethnic treats. I’ll be baking some cardamom cookies sooner or later — you can count on it. Thanks.

One thing I love about food and especially the food blog world is to learn about other culture’s preferences and what is considered a “classic dish” in their mind. We all grow up thinking our little world is what the whole world is about. Most everyone here grows up eating their grandma’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and that makes us all nostalgic about them. I love hearing what brings that nostalgia for other people. No matter how foreign or “vulgar” it may seem in our mind compared to what we are used to. It is beautiful to me.

Ahhh, now I’m a fan of cookies.. it’s also a Canadian thing… I’ve never had one with cardamom in it and this has suggested all sorts of new recipes that I could try with a pinch of cardamom! I’d love a wee cookie.. not a supersized one.. just one wee bite even:)

That vulgar comment wasn’t aimed towards me, now was it? It’s because I’m American, isn’t it? Or maybe because I digust you. Regardless, I got the biggest belly laugh out of this post. You are completely and utterly a regionist {one who is prejudice against people from different regions}; or an Americanist that makes one tasty cardomom cookie 🙂

this is a wonderfully simple recipe; and the post certainly had me laughing! I love that you let cardamom really control the flavor in these. I’m curious to give them a try, but since I’m not using refined sugars much these days, I’m wondering if you think honey would work with the flavor here?

I made these today (after making the rhubarb and ginger jam cake yesterday!), they are truly heavenly. I used ground cardamom (1 1/4 tsp), and my batch of dough made about 40 cookies rather than your 20, they were lovely, thin and crisp. I will be making these regularly for sure, thank you!